Of course there are no real theological implications in the HB in particular. There is just some superficial analogy between that heuristic (inexact) visualization "causes other particles to have mass" and traditional religious thinking. I do not know about "keystone" properties etc., but by all I read particle physics is by no means at its end.

Publicity-driven? Probably, but scientists seem to enjoy insiders' catchwords as well, or even more, since they know the exact meaning.

The physicists' God is unique by the fact that He leaks undisputed revelations every now and then. Richard Dawkins, who has not been quite that successful in his science, might be jealous.